Mushrooms really sprout in places where you least expect them to grow. Just over the weekend, the local residents of Yunnan were up for a literally big surprise when a large cluster of mushrooms was found in Puer.

According to China.org, the giant mushrooms approximately weigh 150 kilograms, with some even as large as a man's arm.

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The edible mushrooms were spotted in Puer, a province in Yunnan. Local media reported the mushrooms were seen growing near a basketball court in the town of Kangping.

On June 25, local restaurant owner Bai Chun harvested the abundant fungi after learning about them through a friend, who works near the area where the giant mushrooms were growing, as per ECNS.

Chun returned home with a pickup truck load of mushrooms. Surely, he is going to make significant profit out of this discovery since the mushrooms are edible.

Local mushroom expert Li Mengjie even said that the giant fungi are very palatable and that they even taste great when served in a soup. Add to that the fact that Chinese people love mushrooms for their health benefits.

Speaking of mushrooms and health benefits, a study conducted in Taiwan has found that Chinese mushroom can be used to fight obesity or the state of being overweight.

The famous mushroom that's used in traditional Chinese medicine, Ganoderma lucidum, has been working miracles for many years now, for treating asthma, diabetes and heart palpitations. But a recent discovery has found that it can combat obesity as well, according to World Report Now.

The study by Chang Gung University involved conducting an experiment on the effectivity of Ganoderma to prevent weight gain. Researchers even observed the gut microbiomes, which were not affected by high-fat diet all thanks to the mushroom, reports ChinaPost. 

The research is published in the journal Nature Communications, and while the findings show promise, the study has a long way to go before humans can benefit from this property of Ganoderma.

The Lai Hsin-chig-led team of scientists said they need to perform further testing on the mushroom before they can derive with a conclusion that the same weight-managing property would take effect in humans. 

TagsYunnan, mushrooms